“I’m quite a big fan of him” – Virgil van Dijk names player Liverpool ‘need’ right now after Chelsea draw

Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk has heaped praise on Reds team-mate Caoimhin Kelleher following his performance against Chelsea.

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool and Chelsea played out a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah gave the visitors a two-goal lead but goals from Mateo Kovacic and Christian Pulisic saw the game end in a tie.

Even though Liverpool earned a point from the clash, they struggled to impress for most of the game. However, one player who stepped up for the Reds on the evening was stand-in goalkeeper Kelleher.

Liverpool star Van Dijk was impressed with the Irishman's performance and hailed him as a fantastic goalkeeper following the game. The defender insisted that the Reds need Kelleher to perform in the absence of first-choice custodian Alisson. He told Sky Sports:

“I’m quite a big fan of him. He is a fantastic goalkeeper. He is learning from the best, in my opinion, with Alisson. His presence is good, he is confident on the ball and he is making good saves as well."

He added:

"That’s good and we need him right now because of obviously the COVID cases. Unfortunately, we conceded two but the first one he can’t really do anything about it. We need him for the next games as well."

Liverpool were forced to start Kelleher in goal for their trip to Chelsea after Alisson tested positive for COVID-19. The 23-year-old, though, was not fazed by the prospect of facing Thomas Tuchel's side as he produced an impressive performance between the sticks.

While Kelleher conceded two goals, he denied Chelsea on four other occasions. The Ireland international also made an impressive save to deny Pulisic from giving the Blues the lead early on in the game.

It was only Kelleher's second Premier League game of the season. He is expected to keep his place in the starting eleven when Liverpool lock horns with Arsenal in the EFL Cup on Thursday.

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Chelsea and Liverpool drop points in the title race again

Both Chelsea and Liverpool dropped valuable points after playing out a 2-2 draw on Sunday. Mane, Salah, Kovacic and Pulisic were on the scoresheet in what was an exciting match.

However, Manchester City were the real winners of the game as both Chelsea and Liverpool came up short in the Premier League title race again. Pep Guardiola's side now enjoy a 10-point lead at the top of the table.

Chelsea are second in the table with 43 points while Liverpool are placed third with 42 points.